A Great Blog

BREAKING NEWS re: Bottle Drive

2010-07-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

Announcing: Our first official bottle drive!

When: Saturday, August 7 from 10am - 2pm
Where: Caroline Farmers Market (In the Old Fire Hall: 522 Valley Rd. Brooktondale, NY - directions)
Contact to Volunteer: Pam Palmer: plpalmer@twcny.rr.com
Notes: We need volunteers to hand out flyers in the area the week prior, as well as drivers and sorters the day of the event. Company members are encouraged to volunteer and also perform!

Fundraiser #2: Dining to Donate event at Applebees

2010-07-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

Do you eat? Do you like R2P? We have the perfect event for you!

Monday, August 2, go to the Applebees on Triphammer Road (just outside the mall - directions here) and bring this voucher. 10% of the cost of your meal will automatically be donated to R2P! What could be easier!?

Dining to Donate event at Applebees
Monday, August 2, 11am-Close

FUNDRAISER #1: Bottle Drive

2010-07-15T20:53:00.000-07:00

It is simple and low-tech, and it is very effective. It's a good old fashioned bottle drive. At least one nearby school brings in a couple of thousand dollars by the end of their annual drive. Let's do that, too!

Here's what you need to know:

When: Hold one in your area anytime between now and August 15th

How it works:
1. If you would like to organize or help with a bottle drive in your town, neighborhood, place of business or another specified area please email fundraising@runningtoplaces.org and indicate the area to be covered.

2. We will follow up with specific details on who else in your area is working on one, if anyone.

3. Hold the drive your area anytime between now and August 15, using flyers and bags we will provide. We will also help you communicate with R2P families in your area to get help.

4. Everyone holding a drive will consolidate their bottles at an Ithaca location and meet to sort them on Monday, August 16 from 5 – 8pm. We have a vendor coming to get them all and take them to a redemption center; this vendor will send R2P the profits check.

5. We will collect hours worked by everyone and calculate the credit from the total profit that your family has “earned” for R2P.

Challenge Grant Success and A New Goal!

2010-07-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

Two anonymous donors stepped forward with a combined donation of $8000 – that needed to be matched!

And thanks to people like you, WE DID IT!

We stand at $8803 in new donations!

Our overall fundraising goal of $32,000 for the season is now in sight. With the success of the Challenge and other donations, we stand at $21,048. Will you help us get the rest of the way?

Challenge Grant Update

2010-07-12T19:33:00.000-07:00

Two anonymous donors stepped forward with a combined donation of $8000 – that must be matched!

To date, we've received $6453 in NEW donations toward our goal!

Will you help us get the rest of the way?

Challenge Grant!

2010-07-03T08:43:00.000-07:00

Two anonymous donors have stepped forward with a combined donation of $8000 – that must be matched! To date, over $4200 has been donated to meet this goal! Will you help us get the rest of the way?

A Note from the Co-Artistic Directors

2010-06-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

We’re in the business of creating illusions. Audiences enter a theatre and allow themselves to suspend their disbelief about the stories unfolding before them. For two hours in the dark, they believe the things they see are real – and usually (and hopefully) are blissfully unaware of what goes on behind the scenes: a panicked dash to complete a quick-change to be on time for an entrance, an emergency repair of a broken prop, a heart-pumping improvisation by actors and stage management when lines are jumped that rewrite a scene. If the audience never suspects the high-wire act going on backstage, the show is a success.

At Running to Places, we take pride in the caliber of our productions and the team we assemble to bring them to life. As a still-new theatre company we’ve also taken pride in our ability to play the part of an established entity on the local theatre scene. We’ve thrilled in hearing Jerry Dietz mention our name in radio commercials alongside the Kitchen and Hangar as theatres his company CSP Management supports. People have told us that it seems like we’ve always been around and that R2P is so established in young people’s lives it will continue “forever.”

This last point is the tricky one.

We think it’s possible we’ve done too good a job creating the illusion of an established company. It’s quite the compliment when people are surprised to learn how much of an illusion our act-togetheriness is. For example, did you know that for this entire season, our sets have been built almost exclusively in the Steinhagen’s backyard, often in cold, wet conditions? (Fun fact: paint will not stick to sets below 40 degrees. We know this firsthand.) Did you know that we don’t own a single power tool? We rely on the generosity of our hired production team to provide their own, resulting in wear and tear on their personal tools. Did you know that members of the R2P leadership regularly defer two-thirds or more of their salary when necessary to pay the bills?

This kind of thing makes for charming theatre stories and is fine for a one-shot deal, a single production, a hobby. But if Running to Places is to remain a healthy, sustainable fixture in our community, things must change.

So what needs to change? First order of business is to have a scene/paint/costumes shop. We’re still committed to “running to places” throughout the community for rehearsals and performances, but having a home for certain logistical elements is key. We’ve already begun to address that with our “temporary R2PHQ” at the former Danby Market which we are renting for the summer. We need to address this need properly and long-term.

Secondly, we need to create a balanced budget—mostly through fundraising. We take great pride in operating as a professional company. We pay our designers and directors for their skill and work; we produce shows with fully realized scenic and costume designs and support them with lights and sound. We run an extremely tight ship, but we simply cannot continue producing shows without addressing our fiscal needs.

It breaks our hearts to think of people saying, “Do you remember those few years R2P was around?” If you feel the same, we need your help.

So, what can you do? You’re here. You’re reading this. That’s a wonderful start. You can make a donation via PayPal on our website. You can donate every time you shop online via GoodSearch.com. You can attend or participate in our upcoming fundraisers which you will be hearing much more about in the coming months. You can spread the word that we need support in order to survive.

Thanks for taking this peek behind the curtain. Will you join us?

Best wishes, Gail and Joey

Newest sponsor for Spring Showcase!

2010-05-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

We're delighted on announce our newest sponsor for Spring Showcase:
Bel Canto Farm in Trumansburg!

We're honored to have the support of this family-run alpaca farm. Check out their website, and find out all about their farm, their beautiful animals, and their incredible alpaca fiber products. Thank you Bel Canto Farm!

R2P2!

2010-04-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

Announcing our second stage: R2P2! This is a laboratory where young artists can take what they've learned and apply it in bold ways. Our inaugural R2P2 production is of Jason Robert Brown's amazing one-act, two-person musical The Last Five Years (wikipedia info). The show is being directed and music directed by current R2P company members Nathan Hilgartner and Jeremy Pletter, respectively and will feature performances by Kevin Hilgartner and Alex LoPinto. The show is being stage managed by company member Elaine Young with a set design by Resident Technical Director Mike Garrett.

The show runs June 7-10 at Risley Hall Theatre on Cornell Campus. All tickets are $10, and there are only 90 per performance, so buy yours now!

More good stuff!

2009-12-10T08:39:00.000-08:00

We've now added the Ithaca Youth Bureau as a Season Sponsor and as a Show Sponsor for The Music Man!

Also, we've reached our $10,000 goal for our Park Foundation Challenge Grant. Thank you to all who donated! We now challenge you to help us keep going so we may use more of these funds for capital improvements (primarily sound equipment) and less for general operating expenses. Would you like to make a difference?

Overhead Door Company of Cortland!

2009-12-07T19:34:00.001-08:00

Overhead Door Company of Cortland is our newest sponsor for The Music Man! They're a wonderful friend to R2P, and we're delighted that they're returning after sponsoring Sweet Charity in 2008 and Once Upon a Mattress in 2009.

If you know of a business that might be interested in sponsoring a show for the 2010 season, point them here!

What's New...

2009-12-07T07:23:00.000-08:00

It hasn't been that long, has it? Nah...

Let's see...

We're still around! Not bad for a fledgling non-profit youth-oriented theatre company!
Season 2 came and went (awesomely, you might say). Bigger company than Season 1, better attendance, new venues (including The State Theatre -- very exciting), new sponsors (like Season Sponsor CSP Management and Season Media Sponsor: Cayuga Radio Group!), and lots more.
We've opened our store with slick new merch!
We're in the middle of one or two or three fundraisers.
We're totally rocking the Facebook.
We've added a bunch of amazing new mentors to our team.
We've kicked off Season 3 with our biggest company yet!
Look for our gorgeous commissioned original artwork by R2P Alum and professional artist Kendra Wells throughout the 2010 Season. (She's the artist behind our newly redesigned lettered logo at the top of this page!)

There's too much stuff to list it all. But you'll be able to keep up with what's happening here and on Facebook. Hope to see you soon!

2009-01-13T06:12:00.000-08:00

Enjoy flapjacks? Supporting non-profits? Being serenaded with showtunes?

Come to Applebees by the mall and be waited on by R2P company members! 86% of your ticket price comes back to support R2P! (Out of your $7 ticket price, Applebees is only keeping $1 for the food and exclusive use of the restaurant! Thanks, Applebees!)

Each ticket gets you a seat at the event, where you will be served 3 pancakes, 2 pieces of bacon, and unlimited juice or coffee. Those who wish to are allowed to ask for another plate. R2P provides the wait staff and the place is ours alone so there will be singing servers and 100% of tips collected stay with R2P. Sounds fun, right?

Sunday, January 25
8:00-10:00am
$7 per ticket (pre-sale only!)

Tickets may be available at the door in limited supply.

2009-01-08T19:30:00.001-08:00

We're proud to announce that for a second year, we've received a grant from the Community Arts Partnership. Thank you!

2009-01-08T19:23:00.001-08:00

R2P proudly presents Once Upon a Mattress! If you thought you knew the story of "The Princess and The Pea," you’re in for a walloping surprise! Over fifty of the most dynamic high school performers representing every school district in Tompkins County bring this musical fractured fairy tale to Ithaca High School’s Kulp Auditorium. Side-splitting comedy, romantic melodies, and exuberant dances guarantee a boisterous good time for the whole family. Featuring Emily Goodell (Trumansburg HS) as Winnifred, Shauna Belokur (Candor HS) as the Queen, Cole Tucker (Candor HS) as the King, Geoffrey Peterson (Trumansburg HS) as Prince Dauntless, Adam Beckwith (Lansing HS) as Sir Harry, Eliza Vann (Trumansburg HS) as Lady Larkin, Elias Spector-Zabusky (Ithaca HS) as the Jester, and Sarah Beckwith (Lansing HS) as the Minstrel. Director Joey Steinhagen, Music Director Ross Mizrahi, Choreographer Todd Peterson, Assistant Director Anya Gibian, and Producer Gail Belokur have collaborated with Matthew Mills (Technical Director), Travis Jones (Scenic Design), Eric Yaple (Lighting Design), Alexander Woodward (Costume Design) and Isaac Derfel (Sound Design) for this sure-to-please production. Performances run January 9-18, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:00pm, Sundays at 2:00pm. Sponsored by Purity Ice Cream, Overhead Door Company of Cortland, Audrey & Bill Edelman, with season-long support from CSP Management and Cayuga Radio Group. Tickets are $10 General Admission and $8 for Students/Seniors, and are available at the door, Ticket Center at Clinton House by calling 273-4497, and here!

Onceuponamattress30

2008-11-20T20:09:00.000-08:00

We are in need of volunteers to help us this Saturday!

We will be moving all our costume stock from two locations--Ithaca College and Ithaca Youth Bureau AND sort out what we will need for our first show of the season: Once Upon A Mattress. Some items will go to storage on Hanshaw Road in Ithaca, others home with our volunteer sewers, and others to Gail's vehicle to take to rehearsal on Sunday.

If you are available to help with this project you can a) show up at the Ithaca Youth Bureau at 10am to help or b) contact

Gail

to make arrangements to move items from Ithaca College to the Youth Bureau any time this week that works for you. (Or pick them up at your convenience and take them to the IYB on Saturday.)

We anticipate being done by 1pm. Thanks!

2008-11-20T10:58:00.000-08:00

Do you use the interwebs? If you're reading this, I'm guessing you do.

Are you interested in Running to Places? If you're reading this, I'm guessing you are.

Would you believe there's a way to make donations to Running to Places EVERY DAY without costing you a penny or even requiring you to do a thing out of your routine? It's true!

Introducing GoodSearch. If you haven't heard of it, GoodSearch is a search engine which donates 50-percent of its revenue to the charities and schools designated by its users. In other words, all you have to do to donate much-needed cash to R2P is to search the web.

Here's how it works:
1) Go to www.goodsearch.com
2) In the box that asks "WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR?" -- enter "Running to Places"
3) Search for stuff online as you would normally, knowing that every time you do, we get $.01! (It adds up!)

You only need to enter your preference once -- it will remember to donate to us thereafter. If you want to get slick about it, you can even take a minute follow their easy directions to make GoodSearch your default search engine in your web browser.

ATTENTION HOLIDAY (OR ANY OTHER KIND OF ONLINE) SHOPPERS!
From the good folks who brought you GoodSearch -- it's GoodShop! Again, couldn't be easier to donate. This time, just:
1) Go to www.goodshop.com
2) In the box that asks "WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR?" -- enter "Running to Places"
3) Select a retailer that you are going to shop at and go shopping! We will automatically get a percentage of the purchase! (Anywhere from 1-40%!!!)

Examples include Amazon, Best Buy, GAP, iTunes, PetSmart, Target, Toys R Us, and dozens more! If you're going to buy something, please check here first. It takes two extra seconds and can mean the difference between us being able to buy lumber for the set or not!

Of course, regular old donations are always welcome to help us keep participation in R2P free of mandatory fees. (Sorry, had to get that in there.)

Thanks so much!

2008-11-11T19:11:00.000-08:00

We're excited to announce a fun way to raise some money to support R2P! A move-a-thon! Get ready to shake what your mama and/or papa gave you! Here are the details:

Date: Sat., Nov. 22, 2008
Time: 2-5 pm
Place: Caroline Elementary School [Route 79/Slaterville Road, Slaterville Springs, NY - directions]
For: R2P Members, Families & Friends
Advance Sale ONLY Tickets - $5/each
For tickets & info: kimake@yahoo.com
R2P members = sponsor form = free Move It! Ticket
How it works:
- R2P Company members volunteer to be “sponsored” by family and friends to raise money for R2P’s 2008-2009 Season.
- Fill out sponsor form information and collect money in advance – ask neighbors, friends and family to help R2P by pledging you! (download Sponsor Form PDF)
- Sell tickets to family and friends to come to the Move It! Fundraiser to support you and “move” with you!
- Bring sponsor form w/money to dance [that is your “ticket” into the Move It! Fundraiser – there will be a “sponsor check-in” area]
- For time pledged, you dance – move – jump – walk to fulfill your commitment
- Win prizes for wearing a unique hat or green clothing for “Go Green!”
- In Partnership with Caroline Rural Youth “Go Green” Project
- Free Food & Drinks for participants! DJ! Prizes! Bake Sale!

2008-10-22T18:13:00.000-07:00

Sooo, in publishing callback info, my webmaking software did the ol' crashy-go-splat-thing over and over and over and over and over again. It made me sad. It left you confused. Sorry for the confusion and thanks for bearing with this crazy process.

Everyone who auditioned should have gotten the following email message from the amazing Gail Belokur:

Dear 2009 R2P Company Members!

We would like to congratulate everyone on a wonderful job! We appreciate the courage it takes to audition, so you should feel proud of yourself. As you read the attached callback lists, please remember that everyone who auditioned will be cast in at least one of our shows. Even if you aren't being called back, you will receive a notice when casting is posted at the end of October.

We also encourage you to "Save the Date" of November 1 from 6 - 9pm. At that time, we will have our Company Kick-Off at Dewitt Middle School. Company members and families are all invited as we have a fun night of welcoming new company members, making new connections and strengthening old ones. More details coming soon!

Please make sure to check every sheet attached and read the notes carefully. There are occasions when we call people or cast them for shows other than just the ones they indicated a firm interest in. It will then be your choice to accept or decline the callback or casting.

On behalf of Joey, Todd, Ross and myself--thank you for auditioning and we hope to see you all soon!
Gail

You can view the callback lists and materials by navigating these ugly but functional pages and folders. (Note: when you see "Parent Directory" -- it just means "go up one level in the folder structure" -- not anything to do with moms and dads.)

I want to reiterate that you all did amazing work at the auditions and we can't wait to work with ALL of you -- everyone who auditioned is in the company and will be in at least one show!

Questions? Be in touch.

2008-10-01T01:57:00.000-07:00

Notice anything different?

1. New website design. Hope you like it. (Hope it doesn't break your browsers. Let me know...)
2. New Subscription Giveaway Conest. Sign up for the mailing list to enter. We'll draw a winner who'll receive a pair of subscriptions every week in October. Gotta be in it to win it!
3. We're officially going by "Running to Places" now. Who ever said the "Productions" part anyway?
4. We're no longer under Social Ventures' umbrella. It's time to leave the nest, because...
5. We're now an independent not-for-profit organization! It's a key next step for us. Soon we'll be building a Board and forming committees. Sound dull? Not if you're Gail or me. (Mmm... delegating.)
6. #5 also means that you can now make a donation written out to "Running to Places" directly – or even do it online with a credit card or PayPal account!
7. You can also shop for an R2P birthday present on our new Amazon.com Wishlist. (Thanks for putting it together, Matt Mills!) Right now, it's kinda tech-centric, but we'll be adding to it over time.

We're excited about all these changes and about the upcoming auditions and the season itself. Hope to see you soon!

2008-09-23T15:35:00.000-07:00

If you want to see something to inspire you as an artist and as a person who has dreams (like starting a youth theatre company, for example), you need to go see [Title of Show] -- one of the newest, funniest, and most original shows on Broadway or anywhere. Outwardly, it's a clever meta-mindtrip created by a group of friends who decided to write a show and get it to Broadway – and it's about a group of friends who decided to write a show and get it to Broadway. (You're better off checking out their website and learning about it for yourself to make sense of what I mean.)

Beyond that, though, it's about daring to dream, asking the universe to send you what you need, and believing that you can achieve crazy things. It's also about what it means to be an artist and sticking to your vision.

I'm telling you about it now because they just got word that they're closing it in a few weeks! But if enough people pack the theatre before then... who knows? It's a brilliant show that more people in the world need to see. (It has some, shall we say, saucy language and subject matter at times, so consider yourself informed, more tender audience members among you.)

I should also mention that the Musical Director and pianist for the show is my friend Larry Pressgrove, composer for the Kitchen Theatre's musicals the last few years (including the soon-to-be-revived romantic musical comedy Tony & the Soprano, in which I will soon be appearing with my wife, Erica as the title characters.)

So if you're going to NYC in the near future – GO! And tell your friends! NOW

Here's a taste: (Music from the show, photos from the stage door on opening night of previews. I dare you not to get goosebumps.)

2008-09-15T22:56:00.000-07:00

If you have ever thought about stage managing (no experience necessary), what better time to get on board than during auditions? Please contact R2P stage manager Nia for more information!

2008-09-15T21:55:00.000-07:00

Pop on over here to learn about our upcoming auditions. There's a link at the bottom of that page to sign up for a slot, or you can jump right to it here if you've done it before. We can't wait to see you all there!

2008-07-04T20:20:00.001-07:00

We're thrilled to announce that we've been selected to receive a grant from the Helen Thomas Howland Foundation as administered by The Community Foundation of Tompkins County. From their press release:

"The Community Foundation of Tompkins County is pleased to announce 10 grants totaling over $54,000 of 2008 Helen Thomas Howland Foundation awards to benefit Tompkins and Broome counties. As administrative agent for the Howland Foundation, the Community Foundation of Tompkins County reviews all applications and makes funding recommendations to the Howland Foundation trustees. The Howland Foundation supports grants in aging services, youth services, animal welfare, and the environment. Grants are limited to qualified nonprofit organizations that provide substantial benefit to these areas."

We're especially proud that the mentoring component of R2P is what was recognized in this award. Middle and high schoolers from all across the area have the opportunity to work with skilled professionals and college students to advance the knowledge of their crafts and/or try out something new in theatre, onstage and off.

Just to give a quick example, a recently graduated high school student joined us as an Assistant Stage Manager for Fame in January. Under the mentorship of a college student Stage Manager, she went on to run her own show mid-season. She consequently decided to pursue stage management as career, and with the help of her mentor, put together a portfolio based on her R2P experiences, applied to and was accepted by the college of her choice to major in stage management.

Since January! Thanks to the Howland Foundation and the Community Foundation (and people like you!) this was possible for us to offer this to her with no mandatory fees.

2008-07-04T19:31:00.001-07:00

We are happy to announce that we have united with the Dryden Community Center Cafe and that in the month of July you have a chance support two non-profit organizations at once with your consumer dollars! Visit the Dryden Community Center Cafe to enjoy coffee, a fresh salad or panini, or homemade baked goods and 15% of your purchase will directly support Running to Places Productions. Please print this coupon or simply tell the clerk that "Running to Places sent me!"

Make your selections as you pass through or stay to enjoy your surroundings--great seating, a relaxed coffee house atmosphere, artwork, games, books and free Wi-Fi are all on hand to enjoy. And because the Dryden Community Cafe is also a non-profit organization, you can feel good knowing that your purchase goes to help community efforts in the Dryden area as well the work of Running to Places artists!

Don't live in Dryden? Why not make plans to stop in before seeing our next production, Sweet Charity, which runs July 25 - 27 and August 1 - 3 at the Dryden High School Auditorium? Tickets are on sale now and at The Clinton House, 120 N. Cayuga Street, Ithaca or by phone at 1-800-28ITHACA.

The Dryden Community Cafe is located at the corner of Route 13 and Route 38 in downtown Dryden. Visit the website for a menu, hours, and events. Please feel free to pass this info on to family, friends, co-workers, neighbors or anyone who might be willing to support two great organizations!

Thanks, and hope to see you over coffee and at the theatre!